Illuminated sign



Ja m. 26 1926. 1,570,980

K. WIEGAND ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed June 2 1925 Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

PATEN ILLUMINATED sron.

Application filed June 2, 1925. Serial No. 34,354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KURT \VmoA'Nn, a citizen of Germany, residin at Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whiclrit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part'of this specification. p This invention relates to illuminated signs and more particularly to illuminated signs formed by a plurality of gas discharge tubes for high tension current.

In accordance with the invention, in the improved sign the diiferent discharge tubes employed, shaped to the form of the characters or signs, are separately arranged on the front side of boxes shaped like the characters or signs, (each separate box being fitted with the necessary transformation devices and electrodes of the separate tubes) and not, as is usual in such signs, all on the front of a fiat advertising plate or a single box-like late.

By suc formation of the illuminated sign from separate boxes with characters or signs adapted to be juxtaposed there is obtained in addition to convenience in transport and ease in erection or fitting up the sign, the

advantage that'the sign is easily seen even in p the day time, due to the drastic efiect of the separate securing boxes. The new form of illuminated sign-ofiers, moreover, the ad-' vantage of erection without danger, as all the current conducting parts of the tubes and their current transformation devices are enclosed within the separate signlike boxes.

One embodiment of an illuminated sign in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Fig. 1 in elevation and in Fig. 2 in vertical section.

The sign illustrated consists of three closed boxes 0 o, o, in the shape of characters, on the f tubes Q1, 98

character in question, are embedded in reront side of which dischar e each bent in theform of t e cesses or grooves 79 11 12 in such manner that the electrodes 1' 1' 1' thereof extend into the inside of the box. Within the boxes 0 0 0 are fitted small stray field transformers s 8 8 which are connected by conductors t t F, with the electrodes and bring the current led from a common conductor a to the. high voltage necessary for operation of each tube. If, instead of stray field transformers, there are used the ordinary transformers, with primary and secondary coils disposed one around the other, there must be interposed in the usual manner in front of .each primary coil a choking coil or an ohmic resistance or a condenser which must then be mounted within the boxes 0 0 0 As will be clear, in the new sign all the parts and conductors carrying high tension current are mounted within the different sign-like boxes. According to the purpose for which they are intendedthe latter may be of different shape and relative arrangement. The current lead a connected to the supply circuit can in a suitable manner be disposed inconspicuously on the mounting place of the sign.

I claim 1. An illuminated sign element, comprising a, box-like member having the shape of a sign character, a gas discharge tube conforming to said shape and disposed on the front of said member, said discharge tube having portions containing electrodes, said ortio-ns passing through the member into the interior thereof and a transformer contained within the member.

2. An illuminated sign element'coinprising a 0105 d, hollow box-like member having the shape f a 'si character, and having a groove on its ace corresponding to the outline of the character, a. gas discharge tube in said groove exhibiting the outline of the character and having end rtions containin the electrodes for said tu c, said end rtions passing through the box-like mezn er into the interior thereof, and a transformer also contained within themember.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have si ned my name.

- K T WIEGAND. 

